Twenty cases of rabies were reported in Nebraska by Thursday. That's
the highest number of cases since 1989, when 28 cases were reported
for the entire year. Only 12 cases were confirmed last year, and three
in 2000.
Most cases in Nebraska are reported between July and September,
showing the rabies season has gotten off to an early start this year.
Nine cases have been confirmed in the past two weeks alone.
Cindy Sasse, owner and veterinarian of the Valley View Animal
Clinic in Hebron, said she's received calls from many Thayer County
residents asking about rabies vaccinations.
Thayer County has seen four rabies cases, more than any other
county in the state this year. The disease has been found in 10
counties across the state.
``This is a bad year for rabies,'' Sasse said. ``The importance of
vaccinations cannot be stressed enough.''
In Jefferson County, where a rabid cow and cat have been found, pet
owners have been calling to check on their animals' vaccinations, said
Tom Covey, associate veterinarian at the Fairbury Animal Clinic.
Sasse said rabies follows a cycle, reaching a peak about every 10
to 12 years. After that, she said the numbers begin to drop again.
She believes the mild winter could contribute to more cases.
``Sick animals, including those with rabies, end up living
longer,'' she said.
Rabies is a viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through
the bite of a rabid animal. Other routes of transmission have been
documented through contact with contaminated saliva to mucous
membranes including the eyes, nose and mouth.
The last human death from rabies in Nebraska occurred in 1926,
according to Marla Augustine with the state Health and Human Services
System.
Most rabies cases are found in wild animals such as raccoons,
skunks, bats and foxes. Less than 10 percent of cases involve domestic
animals such as cats, dogs or cattle.
Three domestic animals have been infected this year in Nebraska,
including the cow and cat in Jefferson County and a cat in Thayer
County. As for wild animals, 13 cases of rabies have been reported in
bats, three in foxes and one in a skunk.
Rabies affects the central nervous system and can produce a fatal
inflammation of the brain known as encephalitis. Symptoms include
headache, agitation, delirium, difficulty swallowing, hallucinations,
seizures, paralysis and hypersalivation.
